Tourists in Aberdeen may have to pay an extra fee when visiting following the approval of a seven per cent visitor levy by councillors.
The tourist tax would apply to overnight stays and accommodation in the city in northeastern Scotland and would not come into forced until at least April 2027.
The visitor levy in Aberdeen is higher than the five per cent approved in Edinburgh and Glasgow earlier this year.
With the average price of a room in Aberdeen currently £70, visitors could expect to pay an additional £4.90 per night.
Aberdeen City Council’s Finance and Resources Committee heard that the tax could generate up to £6.8m per annum.
The council plan to use the money to enhance leisure and business tourism in the city and help pay for tourist infrastructure.
In a statement, the council’s finance and resources convener Alex McLellan said: "The income generated from the visitor levy, paid by those visiting the city, will provide a huge boost to our local economy and allow us to invest in bringing major events and conferences here of a more regular basis.
“Across Europe we are paying similar amounts to stay per night subsidising their thriving economies, and we should do the same to ensure we can compete in terms of attracting both business and leisure tourism to Aberdeen."
The revenue raised will contribute to projects including a fund for business events, expos and major conferences, plus a “Culture & Events Subvention Fund” for large events, productions, sports championships, exhibitions, and festivals.
The report to committee said the measures will allow local authorities to set different rates for different events, such as arts festivals or special conferences.
But local authorities cannot vary the type of accommodation the levy applies to.
A charge would be added to stays at hotels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, self-catering accommodation, camping sites and caravan parks. It does not apply to cruise ships and motor homes.
Following the Scottish Government’s act allowing councils to tax on overnight accommodation, Edinburgh became the first to vote in January to add a five per cent surcharge on visitors’ overnight stays by 2026.
Glasgow followed, approving a tourist tax on accommodation in its city by 2027.
Currently, English legislation does not allow cities to create a visitor levy; however, using legal workarounds has meant Liverpool and Manchester have introduced a form of tourism levy.
Tourism taxes have also been introduced in popular tourist destinations around the world that have been impacted by overtourism.
Stephen Gow, chair of VisitAberdeenshire, said: “A well-managed scheme that supports the aims of the region’s Destination Strategy will drive continued growth of Aberdeen’s visitor economy.
“Aberdeen welcomed 2.2m overnight visits in 2024, contributing to an economic impact from tourism of over £500 million.
“The headroom for growth in the leisure and conference sectors will be fulfilled through effective investment in promotion, events, and development of the tourism sector.”
Read more: Welsh councils to charge visitors per night as tourist tax approved for 2027
